Artist Stretches and Maintenance of the Human Machine

/ ergonomics, Quality of Life / By
an illustration of an older man with grey hair viewed from a side profile. his right arm is raised and bent at the elbow and he quietly examines it. it is made entirely out of silvery metal, scratched and worn and battered over years of use. his expression is calm and detached, and his left hand gently touches his bicep at the elbow.

contents

protip:

  1. drink water
  2. do a stretch

okay but i’ll be more specific.
the human body sustains wear and tear like any other machine you might encounter.

tbh, i dont really feel connected to my body. i dont really feel much when im told “you need to take care of your body!” i just think, “damn. i dont really want to, this thing is kind of a piece of shit tbh. :\”

so i try to imagine i have this MECH that i pilot on the regular and it’s made of meat. i need to maintain this mech because it wont do it on its own obviously, because it’s just a machine. this makes it easier for me to consider taking care of it, and lately it’s been working because i have been doing more.

hope this helps

Mindfulness: Observe Yourself and Your Own Meat Mech

Got a minute?

The next time you’re at your work station, perhaps you can take a minute to observe the way your body is placed at your work station. Observe where you plant your feet, how your legs are bent or positioned beneath you. What is your free hand doing? How much does your head hang when you look at your art surface? How tightly do you grip your drawing tool?

The more aware you are of your body, the easier you will be able to identify what you are feeling, and this can lead to more precise treatment for issues you might run into.

anyway, the main thing an artist needs to keep safe obviously is their drawing limb, which is usually the hand and wrist. however the ENTIRE BODY is involved when an artist is drawing because the rest of their body is usually present. Your legs, spine, shoulders, neck, knees, feet, are all connected to your body as it makes art. they may not be as immediately or obviously affected by your art process, but they definitely are affected and being aware of this can lead to better care for your body as a whole. :)

there are a couple ways that i regularly maintain my meat mech and im gonna share them here. im also gonna expand on this post as i find more stuff that helps, so this is another one of those evolving posts.

but first:

Disclaimer:

i am not a medical professional. i am literally just some guy that draws pictures. these are techniques that i use that have been supervised by my own physiotherapist. when in doubt, consult a physician or a physical therapist. do not fuck with any stretches without consulting a doctor, especially if you are or may be injured.

okay :) let’s go

Tendon Glide Series - Fox Favorite

this first series is one i use on a near daily basis. these are called tendon glides and they sort of massage your hand and wrist but from the inside by doing certain ordered movements.

these exercises are done in order, holding for approx 3-5 seconds between movements. usually i do 5 sets, but sometimes i’ll do more and if im lucky i’ll remember to do it multiple times throughout the day.

you can learn more about this technique here by visiting VeryWellHealth’s post about it.

Remember to be mindful of what you find on healthcare websites. As always, exercise caution and good judgement, and contact your physician or your advice nurse for guidance.

Ulnar nerve gliding exercises

This is one that was linked to me by an artist friend of mine, ViperiumPrime

You can learn more about this one on Joseph J. Shreiber, MD’s website. It’s pretty straightforward but i like that this one is transparently composed by a licensed medical professional.

This is the “Cubital tunnel ulnar nerve gliding exercise.” i’ve started using this one daily as well. this one targets a larger section of the arm, which is important as the arm actually carries a lot of the tension that you feel in the hand and wrist. attacking the issues in the arm can lead to relief further down the limb.

As always, your job is to make sure you make the right choices for YOUR body. Currently you only get one, so remember to make good choices for it. When in doubt, contact your own physician or advice nurse to match your treatment to your needs.

 

Cat Cow - Yoga pose/stretch for spine

i have a herniated disc and im also a cursed Millennial so my spine is just absolutely fucked. but! i got lucky! and i can walk again thanks to focused physiotherapy and proper maintenance. there are tons of stretches to help open up the back but this one has become my ol’ reliable because i can usually get something out of it in about a minute.

protip: animated gifs of this stretch are really funny

This is the CAT COW pose. You can learn more about it on Popsugar’s post about it, but essentially you move from one pose into the other and it can really open up the spine, including the neck and shoulders. I usually put a pillow under my hands when i do this one because im pretty heavy and the pillow takes the pressure off my sad little wrists.

because of my injury i run into stiffness that claims my entire back pretty quickly, so i can throw down my mat, get down and do a couple of these and i tend to feel at least a little better afterward.

one more time: talk to your doctor or advice nurse before doin any of this stuff! it can seriously help some people, but it can seriously and PERMANENTLY injure you if there are complications that aren’t being addressed. you know yourself best, but talk to your doctor first pls pls pls.

i guess that’s it for now. i’ll be back if/when i find more stuff :)

ok take care, drink water, do a stretch, make good choices
– Fox

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